Champagne Cocktail

No. A dry non-vintage brut is right, and a decent cava or cremant does the job for less money. Sugar and bitters are going in regardless, so the nuance of a good vintage bottle is wasted here. Cold matters far more than pedigree.

Giving the drink a body it otherwise lacks. Fifteen milliliters adds weight and a little oak, and it stretches the finish out once the bubbles have gone. Leave it out and you have sweetened champagne, which is pleasant and forgotten by the second glass.

A cube is the older build, and it keeps a slow thread of bubbles rising as it dissolves, which is half the pleasure of the thing. Syrup mixes evenly and spares you an over-sweet last mouthful. If you use a cube, soak it with a few dashes of aromatic bitters first.

Warm glass, usually. Chill the glass and the bottle properly, then pour down the side rather than straight onto the sugar. Stirring it about finishes the job. This is a drink you assemble and hand over, not one you work on.

A classic Champagne Cocktail calls for 15 ml (0.5 oz) Cognac, 6 ml (0.25 oz) Simple syrup, 2 dashes Angostura Angostura bitters, 100 ml (3.5 oz) Champagne. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

A standard Champagne Cocktail is roughly 15% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it about as strong as a glass of wine.

A Champagne Cocktail is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.